In 1952, the Cook Library required renovations including the refurbishing of windows, roof gutters, and exterior wall repair to prevent water damage to the interior and the books. As large a problem as this was, financing the project proved to be an equal challenge. Thankfully, Ansel and Emily Cook had set
aside a trust fund that the town was able to use out of
necessity. Unfortunately, the money had initially been set
aside for expansion of the current library or construction of
a new building. Though the newly renovated building looked
and functioned well, it left trust fund empty and the people
asking, “What will we do next time?”22WHATCHA READING?
Bestsellers of 1930 still available at the library:
Gone With the Wind by Magaret Mitchell
Good-Bye Mr. Chips by James Hilton14

Murrell “Bud” Boyd: “Cook Memorial Library was my favorite haunt for years. To this day I can draw a layout of the library, which occupied the main floor. The children's room on the southwest corner had a separate entrance and it was a happy day for me when Blanche Mitchell, the head librarian, decided I was old enough to come in the front door. She and her husband John lived on the second floor. He worked at Abbott Laboratories and took care of the library. The other staff member was Miss Doane. She was what was then called a spinster. Quiet and intelligent, she knew everybody by name and reading preference. In the summer there were reading contests for kids. Every book read meant a star on the score chart. The top readers' names were posted at the end of summer.”16

1930 Irene Kunke won the Reading Club Prize—a book entitled Little Women.14

“In 1932 Cook Memorial Library spent $1,325 for new and replacement books as determined by the needs of the community.”17